Christmas 2017: Primark Recalls Christmas Candle from Shelves After Photo Showing Hazard of Ornament Circulates Online
Primark has recalled its Christmas candles from the store shelves after a photo of it bursting into flames went viral on Facebook.
The Irish clothing and accessories company acted on the complaint of a customer, Jenny Ferneyhough, who sent them the photo of the Christmas tree-shaped Primark candle she purchased for the holidays. According to a spokesperson of the company, the product has already been recalled and the customer's complaint will be investigated with urgency.
It was on Dec. 2 when Ferneyhough bought the Christmas tree-shaped Primark candle in Manchester. However, according to the customer, just an hour after lighting the candle, its flames spread from the wick to the entire circumference of the candle.
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Ferneyhough was able to capture the incident in a photo and posted it on Facebook. As of this writing, the post has already been shared more than 300,000 times.
"This is a candle I bought in Primark Manchester for £5 on Saturday. I am concerned that it poses a risk to the safety of anyone who owns one, and I have emailed Primark suggesting they recall them. In the meantime, I would be grateful if we could spread the word so that no one is put at risk by this," Ferneyhough said in the caption to her post.
In an interview with BBC, Ferneyhough, who works as a Manchester City Council benefits officer, said that she was especially concerned about those people who have purchased the same item as it can easily lead to a disaster if placed beside flammable decorations and lit. She also added that the primary reason why she posted the photo was to raise awareness and remind people not to leave a lit candle unattended.
Christmas candles are some of the most popular holiday decorations although it is unclear how they became associated with the celebration. However, it is said that the use of candles as a Christmas symbol began in the Middle Ages, when people lit a large candle to represent the star of Bethlehem.
